Size controlling mechanism for boring machines and the like



Jan. 20, 1942. H. L. BLOOD 2,270,406

SIZE CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR BORING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Original Filed July 21, 1938- Harold L.Blo od Gtkorn Patented Jan. 20, 1942 SIZE CONTROLLING MECHANISM won some MACHINES AND THE mm Harold L. Blood, Worcester, Mass assignor to The Heald Machine Company,

Worcester,

Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Continuation of application Serial No. 220,566,

July 21, 1938. This application April 12, 1939,

- Serial No. 267,383

13 Claims.

The present application is a continuation of my original application, Serial No. 220,566, filed July 21, 1938, for a Size-controlling mechanism for boring machines and the like, and relates to machines which are used to impart a predetermined finished dimension to corresponding surfaces of a succession of similar workpieces, and the invention is particularly applicable to boring machines where it is customary for the cutting tool to operate on a relatively. large number of successive workpieces before there is need to make any adjustment of the tool to compensate for the wearing-away of its cutting surface.

In machines of this character the initially established position of the cutting tool relative to the axis of the work holder for the production of a succession of workpiece bores of a predetermined finished size can generally be maingage and for the periodic adjustment of the tool.

Compensation for wear on a rotar boring tool necessitates a very small radialad ustment of the point of the tool relative to its axis of rotation. One of the particular features of the present invention is a boring head incorporating therein a mechanism by which an adjustment of the tool may be procured whether the tool spindle is rotating or stationary, and in which tained without adjustment during the machining of quite a number of successive workpieces by reason of the fact that the tool-is of extremely hard material and can operate for a considerable time before perceptible wear occurs". After repeated machining operations are performed by .the tool, however, the latter does wear downto such an extent that it is no longer capable without readjustment of imparting the desired finisheddimension to the subsequently presented workpieces, .since such dimension is dependent upon the distance of the cutting surface of the tool from the axis of rotation. of the tool or of the workpiece, as th case may be.

Adjustmer t of the tool is then essential it the succesthe adjustment will be on the small scale necessary to compensate for wear without advancing the tool too much.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which-- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the invention, certain of the parts being in section to show the construction.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the end of the tool spindle.

Fig. 3.is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

siveworkpieces are all to be finished to the same established dimension.

In the Blood Reissue Patent No. 20,634, dated January 25, 1938, is disclosed a boring machine organization wherein at the completion of each boring operation, a gage or calipering mechanism is automatically brought into, action to test the Fig. 4 is an hydraulic diagram.

With reference first to Fig. l, the invention is shown in connectionwith a precision boring machine of well known type, as for example, a machine somewhat similar to that of the Blood reissue patent above referred to. In the illustrated machine a base I supports a horizontally movable table 2 slidable on ways, not shown, and actuated in any suitable way. as by fluid under pressure to produce a relative traversing movement between a rotary cutting tool 3 f d a workpiece a for a longitudinal moveme t through the workpiece bore of the rotary tool. To obtain this relative movement, either the tool or the workpiece may be carried by the table;

finished dimension of the workpiece then inthe machine, said mechanism being wholly without influence on the tool in all cases where the desired finished size of the so-tested workpieces has been attained, but said mechanism functioning to produce a wear-eompensatory'adjustment of said tool it and when the so-tested workpiece has not been finished to the desired size.

My 'present invention provides a similarlyfunctioning organization which, however, isof greatly simplified construction, in that-it does away with the complicated electrical andmechanical controls employed in the machineof said Blood reissue patent, and utilizes fluid under-pressure as the actuating medium for the 55 as here shown, by way of example, the movable table carries a suitable workholder 4 in which the workpiece a is secured, as by a suitable clamp 5. The tool 3 is rotatively supported in a tool head 6 mounted on a bridge I which spans the guideways provided by the machine base. The boring operation occurs when the table 2 moves to the left from the-position shown in Fig. 1, to subject the workpiece bore, for its entire length, to the cutting action of the rotating tool 3. The table then reverses, moving back to the position shown in Fig. 1, to permit replacement of the finished workpiece by the next workpiece to be operated upon.

The reversal of the table 2 is effectedwhen a valve l (Fig. 4) provided in the fluid ressure system by which said table 2 is actuated; such engagement shifts the reversing valve into the shown within said cylinder, is suitably connected,

to the table 2.- Fluid under pressure from a pump I3 is directed through a conduit l4 to an inlet port I 5 in the casing |6 of reversing valve In.

- Ports I1 and H1 in the casing are connected to the opposite ends ofthe cylinder H by pipes l8 and I9 and thecasing I6 is also provided with an exhaust port 20. In response to movements of the valve ill by the reversing lever 9, fluid 'under pressure is directed alternately to opposite ends of the cylinder II to provide for the longitudinal traversing movements of the table.

Referring now to Fig.1, the workpiece a is supported with its axis substantially horizontal in the workholder 4, and a housing 2| is mounted on the table in line with the work holder 41 to support a gage 22in accurate alinement with the bore of the workpiece. The gage is carried by a gage rod 23 extending from a plunger 24 slidable in a horizontal bore 25 in the housing 2|. The gage member 22 corresponds in size or diameter to the desired finished dimension of the workpiece bore, and is arranged to be brought into operative relation to each workpiece in the machine, immediately following the action of the rotary boring tool 3 thereon.

With reference again to Fig. 4, the'plunger which carries the gage rod is moved toward and away from the workpiece by fluid under pressure. A conduit 26 provides a connection between the pipe I9 and a port 26' at the inner or left hand end of the bore 25 (the upper end, Fig. 4) and a pipe 2| provides a connection between the pipe I3 and a port 2|' at the outer or right hand end of the bore 25 (the lower end, Fig. 4). Thus, as the table moves to the left to bring the tool and workpiece into operative relation, fluid under pressure is directed to the left hand end of the bore 25 to hold the age away from the workpiece and, as the reversing valve is shifted at the left hand end of the table movement, fluid under pressure isdirected to the right hand end of the bore 25 to cause a movement of the gage to the left for entry within the workpiece bore if the latter is finished to the desired size.

The gage-moving plunger "24 acts also as a valve and to this end has a centrally located roove 28 whichin the above-described extreme positions of said plunger is out of line with opposed ports 29-and 30, the former being connected by a suitable conduit 3| toa bore 32 provided by a bracket 32' extending rearwardly from the toolhead I; said bore 32 contains a slidable plunger 35, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The port 30 is connected bya conduit 34 to a port 35 in a casing 36 (Fig. 4) which contains a vertically slidable piston valve 31, consisting of two piston portions separated by a reducedportion 45. The casing 36 has a port 38 connected by aconduit 39 to the conduit I4 between the pump l3 and the reversing valve casing l6.

The valve 31 has an upwardly projecting stem 40, which, as best shown in Fig. 1, is in aposition to be engaged by-a pivotally. mounted dog 4| carried by a block 42 laterally adjustable on the front of the table. The dog 4| is pivoted on a pin 43 and is free to rock counterclockwise to allow the dog to pass without effect over the upper end of the stem 40 during movement of the table to the left. Upon movement of the table to the right, however, the swinging movement of the dog 4| is limited by a shoulder 44 on the block and thus the dog forces the valve 31 downwardly to provide fluid connection between ports 35 and 38 around the reduced central portion 45 of the valve. The valve 31 is normally held in the upper position shown by a coil spring 49.

If the gage 22, on its above-described movement to the left as the tool 3 is withdrawn from a workpiece bore, is unable to enter said bore, that is its full movement to the left being prevented by engagement between the gage and the end of the workpiece by reason of the workpiece bore being too small, then the reduced portion 28 of theplunger 24 establishes a fluid connection from the port 35 to the bore 32 containing the plunger 33. When the valve 37 is subsequently shifted downwardly by the dog 4|, during movement of the table to the right,-fiuid under pressure enters the bore 32 to produce a movement of the plunger 33 to the right, this causing, as hereinafter described, the actuation of a mechanism which automatically repositions the tool 3 so that its next-ensuing operations will produce workpiece bores of the desired size. On the other hand, whenever said gage 22 can makeits full left hand movement into the bore of any workpiece that has been operated upon by tool 3, then the ports 29 and 30 are closed off from each other by the valve 24, in consequence of which no such tool-compensating movement of the plunger 33 can occur.

1 Referring now to Fig. 1, the toolhead of the invention, which is mounted on the bridge 1, supports a rotatably mounted hollow spindle 41, the left hand end of which carries a pulley 48 by which the spindle is rotated, as by a belt 48. On the right hand end of the spindle 41, as shown .in Fig. 2, is provided a preferably integral flange or plate 49, whose face is shouldered as shown at 50 to form thereon a circular projection slightly eccentric to the axis of rotation of the spindle 41, fitted to this eccentric circular projection is a circular recess provided by a corresponding cap has a centrally extending stub shaft 53, in the end of which the boring tool 3 is positioned. the latter extending radially of the shaft in the usual manner. The shaft 53 is concentric with the shoulder 5| and thus a turning of the cap 52 relative to the flange 49 will adjust the pro jecting end of the tool toward or away from the axis of rotation of the spindle, dependent upon the position of the cutting point of the tool with relation to the eccentricity of the shoulder 5| A suitable ring 54 holds the cap'52 against the flange 49 through the medium of bolts 55 which extend through elongated arcuate slots 56 in the cap 52. The bolts hold the cap 52 frictionally against the flange 49 to permit of a relative turning movement between the cap and the flange, when desired.

The cap has a central internal recess 51 hav-. ing a plurality of ratchet teeth- 58 on the inner Thecylindrical surface thereof, the teeth being in a position to be engaged by a spring-pressed pawl 59 slidable in a bracket 6|) mounted on the end' outer end provides for withdrawing the plunger from engagement with the ratchet teeth, when manual adjustment of the tool, by movement of the cap 52 relative to the 'flangeor plate fit, is

desired. The pawl 59 holds the flange and. cap 52 against relative turning movement in onedirection. It will be understood that the spin dle t'l rotates, during the boring operation, in

the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3.

On the end face of the fiange'flt is carried a lever 65 the same being pivoted on a pin 66 projecting from said face at one side of the spindle axis. The free end of the lever 65, on the other side'of the spindle axis has an outwardly extending spring-pressed pawl 61! normally held in inoperative-position by engagement with a pin at projecting from the end face of the flange 49. A coilspring 69 connected to the lever 65 and to a pin 69' on the end face of the flange 49 normally holds the lever in the positionpf Fig. 3 and against a pin llll which limits the counterclockwise (Fig. 3) movement of the lever. A radially extending plug ll engages with the lever midway between its fulcrum pin 66 and the free end thereof, the plug being slidable in a centrally projecting boss 12 on the flange M.

For cooperation with plug H, the spindle M has a centrally positioned rod It axially slidable therein, the inner end of the rod, as shown in Fig. 2, being conical for engagement with the inner end of the plug ll, whereby right hand movement of the rod, Fig. 2, produces movement of the plug outwardly to rock the lever 65, against the pull of spring 69, and thereby engage the pawl 6! with the teeth 58 of cap 52, for a minute adjustment oi the tool 8. The outer or left hand end of the rod '53 is in the path of the head of a bolt M adiustably mounted in the end of the plunger 33. Thus the rod 13 is actuated, ,to obtain, as above described, a readjustment of the tooIs position, only in those instances when a workpiece which has been operated upon by said'tool, is nevertheless not. bored out to a sufficient size to permit the entry of the gage 22.

The boring tool may be rotated continuously or may be started and stopped at the beginning and end of each boring'operation under the control of the same mechanism which controls themovements of the table. A suitable clutch and brake mechanism of any well known character is utilized for this purpose and the clutch and brake are under the control of a plunger 15 slidable in a casing [6 connected into the fluid pressure system'and under the control of the reversing valve Ill. As this is not a feature of the inven Rotation of the 'pin ti by means of the knurled knob 6| on its iii of a control lever 11 on the front of the machine. The table moves to the left carrying the workpiece past the cutting point of the rotating boring tool, for a machining operationon the workpiece bore. During this movement of the table to the left the gage is held in the position shown (Fig. 1) by fluid under pressure against the left hand end of the plunger 28. After the cutting point of the tool passes beyond the right hand end of the workpiece the table is reversed by the engagement of dog 8 with the lever 9, to initiate the withdrawal of the tool from the workpiece bore.

Upon this reversal of the table at the left hand end of its movement, fluid under pressure is directed against the right hand, end of the plunger M, moving the gage to the left and into the bore of the workpiece which has just been bored, provided said bore is finished to'the desired size. In those instances that the gage enters the workpiece bore, indicating that the boring operations performed thereon has produced the desired size, no fluid under pressure is admitted against the plunger 33' since the ports tion it need not be described in detail, except to--;{ note that the compensation for wear on the tool occurs entirely independently of the tool rota- 29 and 3t are kept from communicating with each other by the plunger 24 which has been permitted, by full entry of gage 22 into the workpiece bore, to move to its extreme left hand position. In the regular and ordinary operation of the machine on a succession of similar workpieces, such entry of the gage 22 into the successively finished bores will be permitted usually by quite a number of consecutive workpieces, and while these conditions prevail there will be no changes produced in the relative positions of the cutting point of the boring tool and the workpiece and tool axes.

However, as the result of the gradual wearing down of the tool 3, from a number of such boring operations, said tool may ultimately produce a bore which is undersize, that is, a bore not large enough to permit the entry of the gage 22. When this occurs, on the right hand or withdrawal movement of table 2, the usual movement of the gage to the left is limited by contact between the gage and the end of the workpiece, thereby stopping the plunger 24 in mid-position, and establishing fluid connection between the ports 29 and 30. Accordingly, later on in this right hand withdrawal movement of the table, when the dog ing the lever 65 to cause the pawl 61 to engage the ratchet teeth 58 andto impart a slight relative turning movement between the flange 49 and the cap 52. Since the cap '52 is eccentric to the axis of the spindle 41, the effect of this slight relative turning movement is a radially outward movement of the cutting point of the boring tool relative to the axis of the spindle. Following such repositioning of the tool3 (to insure the boring of subsequent workpieces to the desired size) the parts are returned to normal position by the spring 69, and the machine causes the machine to produce another undersized bore, whereupon occurs, in the manner above described, another automatic repositioning of the tool 3, to compensate for such wear.

I claim: c

1-. In a machine of the class described, a boring head comprising a housing, a spindle journalled therein, a member eccentrically mounted on the end of the spindle, a boring tool carried by the member, a rod axially slidable in the spindle, and means responsive to movement of the rod for shifting the member angularly on the spindle, said means including a pawl and ratchet on the spindle and member and connections between the pawl and rod.

2. In a machine of the class described, a boring 'head comprising a housing, a spindle Journalled the end of' the spindle, a boring tool carried by the member, a pawl for normally holding the member and spindle against relative angular movement in one direction, a rod axially slidable in the spindle, and means responsive to movement of the rod for shifting said member angularly of the spindle in the'opposite direction, said last means including a pawl and ratchet on the spindle and member and connections between said pawl and the rod.

4; In a machine or the class described, a boring head comprising a housing, a spindle journalled therein, a member eccentrically mounted on one end of the spindle, a boring tool carried by the member, a rod axially slidable in the spindle and means responsive to movement of the rod for shifting said member angularly on the spindle, said means including a pawl rockably mounted on fluid under pressure, a tool-repositioning means,

an actuator therefor operable by pressure fluid from said source, a gagealined with said workand a device moved by said pressure fluid on each boring stroke of said traverse to space said gage away from the workpiece bore and moved reversely by fluidpressure on each reverse stroke of said traverse to urge said gage toward and into said bore, said device normally preventing the flow of pressure fluid from said source to said actuator, but having a passage which is brought into position to permit said flow, for the operation of said tool-repositioning means, only in response to the non-entry of said gage into a workpiece bore.

7. In a machine of the class described, a boring tool and a work holder, means for imparting rotation to one of said parts, and means for traversing one part, reciprocatively, of the other,

to obtain, by one stroke of said traverse the boring of each successive workpiece said workholder to a dimension determined by the distance of said tools cutting point from the axis of said rotation, and by the reverse stroke, a withdrawal of said tool, from the workpiece bore, a

source of fluid under pressure, a tool-repositioning means, an actuator therefor operable by pressure fluid from said source, a gage alined with said workholder to test the bore size of each workpiece, a device moved 'by said pressure fluid 'on each boring stroke of said traverse to space said gage away from the workpiece bore and moved reversely by fluid pressure on each reverse stroke of said traverse to urge said gage toward and into said bore, said device normally source to said actuator, but having a passage which is brought into position to permit said flow 4 for the operation of said tool-repositioning the end of the spindle, a ratchet on the member and engageable by said pawl, and connections between said pawl and the rod, including a pin 5 engageable with the pawl and rod and movable endwise by endwise movement of the rod.

5. In a machine of the class described, a boring head comprising a housing, a spindle journalled therein, a member eccentrically mounted on the end of the spindle, a boring tool carried by the member, a rod axially slidable in the spindle, means. responsive to movement of the rod for shifting the member angularly on the spindle,

spindle and member and connections between the pawl and rod, and an additional pawl engageable with said ratchet for releasably' holding the member against turning movement on the end of the spindle. p

' 6. In a machine of the class described, a boring tool and a workholder, means for imparting rotation to one of said parts, and means for traversing one part, reciprocatively, of the other, toobtaimby one stroke of said traverse the boring of each successive workpiece in said workholder to a dimension determined by the distance or said tool's cutting point from the axis -of said rotation, and by the reverse stroke, a withdrawal of means, only in response to the non-entry of said gage into a workpiece bore, and valve means for preventing flow of pressure fluid from said source to said actuator except on said withdrawal stroke of the traverse after said tool is clear of the workpiece bore. y

8. In a machine of the class described, a boring tool and a workholder, means for imparting rotation to one of said parts, and means for traversing one part, reciprocatively, of the other, to obtain, by one stroke of said traverse the boring of each successive workpiece in said workholder to a dimension determined by the distance of said tools cutting paint from the axis of said rotation, and by the reverse stroke, a

withdrawal of said tool from the workpiece bore,

, pressure fluid from said source, a gage alined said means including a pawl and ratchet on the said tool from the workpiece bore, a source of with saidworkholder to test the bore size of each workpiece, means operated by said pressure fluid for moving said gage away from a workpiece bore on each boring stroke and toward said bore on each withdrawal stroke, a pair of valves normally closedv to prevent passage of pressure fluid from said source to said actuator, one of said valves being associated with said last-named means to open only in response to non-entry of said gage intoa workpiece bore, and means for opening said other valve momentarily, on each withdrawal stroke of said traverse after said tool is clear of the workpiece bore.

9. In a boring machine, a rotary tool spindle, a member rotatablewith said spindle and mounted eccentrically thereon, a boring tool carried by aeraaoe said member and projecting therefrom substantially radially of the spindle axis, a rod axially slidable in said spindle, and means for convert ing said rods endwise movement, in one direction only, into angular movement of said member, in such direction as to increase the radial projection of said tool from said spindle axis.

10. In a boring machine, a rotary tool spindle, I

a member rotatable with said spindle and mounted eccentrically thereon, a boringtool carried by said member and projecting therefrom substantially radially of the spindle axis, a rod axially'slidable in said spindle, a gage for testing the-bore size of each workpiece operated on by said tool, means responsive to non-entry of said gage into any workpiece bore for moving said rod endwise, and means for converting such' endwise movement of said rod into a predeterminedangular movement or said member in such directi as to increase the radial projection of said tool from said spindle axis.

11. In a boring machine, a rotary tool spindle, a member rotatable with said spindle and mounted eccentrically thereon, a boring tool carried by said member and projecting therefrom substantially radially of the spindle axis, a rod axially slidable in said spindle, a gage moved by fluid pressure after each boring operation of aid tool, to test the bore size of the workpiece then in the machine, fluid pressure means operable in response to non-entry ot'said gage into the workpiece bore iormoving said rod endwise, vM 9 means for converting such endwise movement of said rod into a predetermined angular movement ofsaid member in such direction as to increase the radial projection of saidtool from said I spindle axis. 7

12. In a boring machine, a rotary tool spindle, a member rotatable with said spindle and mounted eccentrically thereon, a boring tool carried by said'member and projecting therefrom sub-' stantially radially of the spindle axis,, a rod axially slidable in said spindle, and a pawl and ratchet mechanism actuated by movement in one direction of said rod for causing predetermined angular movements of said member to vary the radial projection of said tool from the spindle member to change the radial projection of said tool from said spindle 'axis is obtained by each such movement of rod, and a spring for returning said pawl and said rod to normal position.

HAROLD L. BLO0D. 

